Concert
by Skylark93
Summary: Sakura isn't your typical high school nerd. After all, nerds weren't really that well liked. So, why is she the exception? AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto. I wish I did, because Sakura has a lot of potential to be a very good character.

**Authoress note**: I decided to upload this before I update my KHR story Constellation:Vega. Before any of you say anything, I know that Vega is not a constellation. It is the brightest star in the constellation of Lyra. I just thought it would be more of a creative title for a story. This story was causing a writer's block for me and I couldn't update KHR with this idea floating around, so I had to write it.

**Authoress note 2**: Please note that the time frame for each chapter is not consistent. For example, chapter 3 might be a week after chapter 2, but chapter 4 takes place a few days after events in chapter 3.

**Warnings**: OCs, OOC, AU, use of language (swearing, some minor inappropriate jokes)

**Summary**: Sakura isn't your typical high school nerd. After all, nerds weren't really that well liked. So, why is she the exception? AU.

* * *

_The Beginning...of Lunar May_

* * *

[[8 years ago]]

"Ne, we'll always be friends, right? No matter what anyone says?" A young girl asked, looking down at her feet as she sat on the swing set of her backyard. Beside her, on the other swing, is her friend. His smokey brown hair was messy because of the passing by breeze.

"Of course, friends until the very end of time! Momma said time is infinite, in life and in death." The boy turned to her and offered a sweet smile to reassure her, "And I'm sure I'll never forget an awesome friend like you either."

"You're just tryin' to cheer me up 'cause you're moving away." She replied, tears slipping down her pale cheeks. It was oddly silent except for the soft sounds of sniffling. The girl drew in a deep breath when she felt finger tips, slowly and gently, wiping away the water trails. Deep forest green eyes glanced up to meet his stunning amber yellow ones, burning bright in the dimming light of day. It was silent for a while before she decided to speak again, "Y-you said you'd never leave."

"Yes, that was the promise I made to you" He replied firmly, his voice steady, "I'm not leaving you alone, even if I move away, I'm always by your side. That was my promise. Maybe not in person, but that doesn't matter. Corny as it may seem."

"Its very corny, but, I like corn" The younger of the pair giggled, her sobbing was gradually fading. He watched as she held out her hand, pinky up, "Pinky promise you'll come back for me here?"

"We're too old for pinky promises." She frowned at his reply and was about to pull her hand away when his pinky locked around her own one, tightly. "But, it makes me feel better because pinky promises are serious things."

"It is! No one can break this type of promise, even if their life depended on it. So lets make it final. I, Sakura Haruno, will always be Akira Soto's friend.~ Now you say it too!"

"No way, that is over the line corny. I will just say I'm your permanent best friend for life!"

"Mou! That's not fair, Akira! You have to say what I said!" Sakura whined

"No, I'll throw up!"

"Akira!"

…

"Close your eyes!"

"No! You might do something weird!"

"Please, Sakura? Just this once, my parents are waiting right now, I can't make them wait longer, they'll get mad!"

"Fine, just hurry up." She froze as something cool and metallic was felt around her neck. She opened her eyes to see a grinning Akira and glanced down at his neck. Her eyes widened and instinctively touched her own. It was a silver chain necklace that was still slightly too big for her. In the center, was his birthstone, a deep ocean blue sapphire that was gleaming in the sunlight. What held the precious gem stone in place was what looked like a wolf in a circular form, its tail tip touching its nose. There was no mistaking it. "Your favorite necklace...you're giving it to me?"

"Yeah! Keep it on at all times, okay? In the future, when we meet again, I'll be able to find you easily! So don't take it off, promise?"

"Okay, I promise" The pinkette smiled. What happened next was unexpected to the younger of the pair. She felt her eyes widen as his lips gently rested on her forehead and placed a soft kiss. Time seemed to freeze for her for a few moments. A blush quickly spread across her face in embarrassment when she had noticed their respective families watching them with smiles on their faces. She was about to say something to him before her voice was caught in her throat at his expression. "Goodbye, Akira."

She moved even closer and wrapped her arms tightly around him, causing him to let out a small whine of discomfort, but she didn't care. Instead, he returned the hug with just as much strength as she.

"Goodbye, for now, Sakura."

* * *

[[Present Time]]

Sakura Haruno, 17 years old, a junior in Konoha Star High School. She's nerdy and has a GPA of 4.0. But, she is also athletic and artsy, and very well liked by the professors and the student body. You could consider her the big sister of the school. Underclassmen always looked up to her as a role model student. Her classmates often regarded her as their ace, for academics and sometimes athletics. She loves to help by tutoring and sometimes even helping with planning sure fire lessons. Many regarded her as a beauty. Sure, not the prettiest of all the girls in school, but nonetheless a beauty with a keen mind and intelligence. Yes sir, Sakura Haruno is the ideal student that any school would love to have.

That said student, was currently sitting at her desk, scanning through the notes that were taken in that week alone. What was she doing? She was preparing for the rather lengthy quiz that was planned to be on Monday morning, covering all lessons taught that week. A delicate and slender finger pushed her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose before running through silk pink locks. She had pencil in her mouth that she was gently chewing as she studied. Despite being in a rather loud environment, the pinkette was managing to keep her mind on track and focus on all the highlighted areas of her notes. Her free hand reached toward her neck, and played with the accessory that rested there.

Sakura was rather surprised that the necklace still fit her, after all, it has been almost 8 years. She smiled at the fond memories that were replaying in her mind and snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. The pinkette was rather sad that she was bothered while reminiscing. But the student didn't show any form of annoyance or aggression, she just looked at who had touched her.

"Sasuke, do you need something?"

Sasuke Uchiha, 17 years old. The brooding male friend of hers. The Dark Prince of Star High. The youngest son of the chief of police and the younger brother of the famous lead guitarist of the band, Akatsuki. How he hated to be referred to by both those titles. However, Dark Prince, he (surprisingly) did not seem to mind. He is independent person. He liked no titles attached to his name, just because he was related to powerful people. The dark haired male often told the pinkette he'd rather be called a nobody than to be called by a title that was earned from just being related to the other Uchihas. It was a powerful statement from the youngest male. To call him by his last name was an insult to him. He wants to be independent but is held down by that name. Sasuke had told her more than once, that he will make a name for himself, and will no longer stand in his father's and brother's shadows. And Sakura knew, that one day, he will be victorious.

"Its about the group project. Has Naruto done his part yet?"

"I only got about half. I had to ask him to rewrite the second half because he accidentally spilled ramen over it and the writing became illegible."

"That idiot, we keep telling him not to eat near all his assignments. He never learns, does he?"

Naruto Uzumaki, 17 years old. The last part of the close trio. He is the exact opposite of the brooding male, the blonde was a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. The son of the mayor. Just like the Dark Prince, he hated to be known as just the son of an influential figure. Naruto, even if he feels down himself, tries his best to cheer up any one who is sad. It is a selfless act, as he sometimes makes a fool of himself, but doesn't care so long as the person who was sad is smiling again. The blonde wasn't exactly the smartest of the class but that doesn't really mean that he's the dumbest either. He was the in-between. When the male puts his mind to it, he could easily accomplish anything, like acing tests and quizzes. What he lacks is motivation. Sure, he wants to graduate so he could attend college with his friends, but even that isn't enough to keep him from letting his grades slip every now and then.

"Teme, I just finished rewriting it! Don't go around insulting people because they accidentally spilled something!"

"Dobe, you're too loud, stop shouting in our ears when we are right next to you." Sasuke replied, sending a death glare in the direction of their friend. Naruto was unaffected though and an argument erupted from the two. Sakura rolled her eyes and took the paper from the blonde, without his notice, and compiled it with the rest. She then promptly closed the manila folder and tucked it into her bag. School was about to end in a few minutes, so she might as well pack her belongings so she could leave early. After all, she had to work right after. The school allowed for students to work, as long as it doesn't interrupt their studies too much.

"What are those idiots fighting about now?"

Sakura looked to her right and noticed pearl silver eyes glaring in the direction of the blue and yellow blob that were fighting on the ground...literally. She gave the long, brown haired male an apologetic look. It didn't work to sooth his anger, and the pinkette sighed. Without even a second thought, she took a textbook of hers and walked over to them. One. Two. Three. THUD! The heavy book landed with a loud sound besides the heads of the duo. Both glanced at her with horrified expressions and swiftly got onto their feet and dusted themselves off before she could drop another.

"You morons are disturbing other students, knock it off!" She snapped, and the two nodded stiffly to try an ease the older teen. Sakura returned to her seat and huffed, resting her chin on her palm. Giggles erupted from behind and she turned her attention back there.

"You got those boys whipped so well, Sakura."

"Yea, yea, yuck it up, Ino. You're just mad because Shikamaru and Chouji don't want to listen to you."

"Not true! They listen to me all the time!" Ino said sharply.

Ino Yamanaka, 17 years old. The only child and daughter of the local botanist. She, herself, is an expert on flowers. Despite the petty arguments with the pink haired maiden, the two are friends. Ino is usually the gossip girl everyone turns to. If you need information about whether or not someone was single, you go to her. The latest fashion tips? You go to her. Dating advice? Its her. You can even describe that person you're thinking about and she'll most likely know who it is, a famous person or just a regular student or professor at the school. 99.9% (percent) of the time, she is accurate. Ino is one of the friends you can count on. Although she is known as the gossip girl, she can keep secrets as well.

"Sure they do, that's why they aren't in class today." Sakura said, making sure her area was tidy before moving to stand. Ino was about to reply before getting cut off,

(Ding, Ding, Ding.)

"Attention, attention. School is now over. If you are not a member of; a club, sports team, student counsel, detention, and staff/faculty, please kindly leave the premises. There should not be any students, unless they are speaking with professors regarding matters, lingering after school for safety reasons. Failure to follow instructions may result in punishment that is seen as fit by the professors who spot you. All announcements in regards to school related matters and festivities will be posted on the official website by 7pm tonight. For more information, stop by the office before you leave or just click on the links posted. Please be guided accordingly. Thank you."

(Ding, Ding, Ding.)

…

"Boy, am I beat!" Sakura said tiredly, plopping onto the couch in her apartment living room, landing ungracefully on her stomach. Her school bag laid on the floor by the coffee table, its contents spilled hazardously. Dull emerald green eyes were blinking slowly, clearly trying to fight the sleep that threatened to take over. With a loud groan of annoyance, the pinkette sat up and stretched her aching limbs. For a moment after class, she had forgotten that she was on the counsel. It wasn't until Neji Hyuga, the President, reminded her of the meeting. She then had to call into work about being late, and was made to work an extra hour for being late. What she didn't understand was why her manager didn't just dock her pay for that one hour instead of making her work for the hour she missed, "I can't fall asleep now, I still have that philosophy paper to write."

"Arf, arf!"

"Sorry I'm late Biscuit. I just came back from work and my whole entire body is screaming in pain right now. Can I feed you later, huh, buddy?" The pinkette mumbled, "Didn't mother feed you while she was still here?" A whine sound, "Damn it, I specifically left a note asking her to feed you for me. Alright bud, come on."

Sakura stood on her feet and walked over to the small kitchen, and pulled out the puppy chow from its cabinet. The sounds of kibble hitting the dog bowl were loud in the quiet apartment complex. She set it down and watched as the young alaskan klee kai gobble the food. It was then that she noticed the sticky note posted on the refrigerator door.

'Sorry sweetheart, I won't be home again tonight. I only had time to shower and change before leaving again. I left some leftovers of my lunch for you. If its not enough, I posted a delivery service number below. Take care sweetheart, I wish I could see you more often. Love you, Mom :heart:'

"You and me both, mom. Guess it can't be helped, can it? We're both so busy with our lives" The teen muttered, folding the note and looking inside the refrigerator, pulling out a container of rice and fried fish, "Thanks for the meal."

* * *

The pink haired teen sighed and took off her glasses, placing them next the the empty plate and the 10 page, double spaced, completed philosophy paper that was due next wednesday. She rubbed her temples and glanced at the clock from the corner of her eyes, resisting the urge to let out another groan. It was already 10:30pm. And she still had 2 more assignments to do. Yes, she had the weekend to do it, but she preferred to get it out of the way so she can relax over the weekend instead. Sakura looked at the pup, who made its bed on the other side of the couch, near her feet. A small smile crept into her face. Biscuit was sound asleep and the site of him sleeping made her inwardly coo at his cuteness.

"Once again, the Akatsuki has broken another record. It is quite surprising, to me that is, considering the fact they are still relatively new to the music industry. They had only just released their newest albums and it is already flying off the shelves of music stores all across the country. Even their digital sales are skyrocketing! Astounding, isn't it? Luckily, today, we managed to catch them after they were a guest on a live tv show. Their manager allowed us to interview the young men, but only for a short period of time. Here is what they had to say to all their fans."

It was at that point and time that Sakura muted the tv. Her eyes trained on all the members of the band, and she noted that one seemed to be missing. The fangirls at Star High always raved about the hotness levels of each of them. No doubt they'd be disappointed that one member is refusing to be interviewed. When it panned in on the lead singer, the teen pressed the 'mute' button again and listened.

"How and when did this band start?"

"It formed around 2 years ago, but we didn't really make a move to be famous yet. My dad was never home, he's too busy with work. So, while he was always gone, my friends and I hung out at my house. At that time, I had a bass that I never really played so it just sat there. But the current bassist, who is in the band now, was the first to play and it built up from there."

"Who encouraged you to play?"

"Surprisingly, it was my dad. He had come home early one day and heard us playing. He recommended a couple of agencies for us to check out. We did, and now -"

"A load of bull shit." Sakura muttered, turning the channel to a different one. After minutes of channel surfing, she turned it off and sighed, "There's no good programs on at night, the downside of turning away invites to parties in order to study. Meh, it'll pay off in the end."

She wandered around, checking on the entire apartment. She unplugged the rice cooker, made sure that the stove was off, the faucet wasn't dripping any water, locked all the doors and windows, and lastly, switched off the lights. It was a routinely thing to do. One, it calmed her knowing that everything was all set and there was nothing wrong. Two, she was reassured that the locks were all in place and she was safe. Three, it cleared her mind. The teen yawned and crawled onto her bed and settled under the covers. Just was she was about to close her eyes, she shot out of bed and ran into the small dining room. The sudden movement startled Biscuit, who woke up from his slumber on the couch.

"I knew I saw something here! Why didn't mom leave it on the kitchen counter!"

Sakura squealed in delight and spun in a circle thrice. Biscuit stared at his master like she was crazy, for all he knows, she probably was crazy.

"Bis! Don't give me that look, Akira wrote back!" She paused, "You don't even know who Akira is, silly me. He's my best friend in the entire world! But he moved away when we were still kids. Wow, its been a while, I wonder how he is doing~"

_Dear Petals _('Of course he'd bring up my old nickname' she thought)_,_

_Its been a while, hasn't it? _

_I'm sorry I haven't written to you in a long time, I was really busy when you sent that letter. And I'm sorry this reply is going to be short, I'm in a bit of a rush, my schedule here is very hectic _('When isn't it?' Sakura said aloud)._ I'll write an even longer letter thrice as long as this when I get the chance to. You better look forward to it, because its filled with the details of my life here in Amegakure. _

_I took your advice and broke up with my girlfriend _('EH!?')_. Before you freak out and think you ruined my life, you didn't. Actually, I think you did the opposite, you saved me from a horrible relationship. Did I ever tell you why I dated her in the first place? I don't think I did. I just told you I had a girlfriend, but I never said it was because I wanted to date her. It was because our parents forced us to,...er, actually it was her parents. Damn, they are scary. But I told my parents how I really felt about the relationship, and they looked so relieved and said that I could end the relationship. It was supposed to be one of those arranged marriages, so thankfully my parents were on my side. _('That's good to hear')

_That is my story for the letter. I feel better :smiley face:. You know, I think we're one of the only few that still write actual letters to one another. Damn. Then again, I prefer it this way too. For some reason, it feels more personal than writing an email. You gotta agree thats true. So, in short, I will be visiting soon and I just broke up with my arranged girlfriend. Thanks for the advice, Petals!_

_Maybe I'll take you to a concert, if I feel like it. Have you heard of Silver Eclipse? Their songs are pretty awesome if you ask me. Well,...you didn't ask me, BUT I told you anyways. _

_See ya soon :smiley:,_

_A. S. _

"Akira...is coming back to Konoha!?" A higher squeal than before escaped her lips and she hopped up and down in place. "Akira is coming back!"

With that, she tacked the letter on the message board in her room, where all the letters that she had received were placed. A short time later, she was on her back and under the covers, a smile taking over her face. Biscuit curled himself beside her stomach and promptly fell back asleep. The pinkette hid a yawn and closed her eyes.

.

.

.

"At least he writes back."

.

.

.

_**[To Be Continued?]**_

* * *

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this first chapter of Concert. Please let me know if I should continue the story :) Also, I don't mind getting constructive criticism, just no flames please. Before you ask, yes, Akira will be playing an important role in this fic, but I won't be saying what his role is. Just have to wait for another update :) Please be kind and leave a review (if you want) but remember, no flames. Thanks again :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto. I wish I did, because Sakura has a lot of potential to be a very good character.

**Authoress note**: Thanks for the reviews, favorites and alerts :) Please note that the time frame for each chapter is not consistent. For example, chapter 3 might be a week after chapter 2, but chapter 4 takes place a few days after events in chapter 3. Sorry, this chapter is a bit dry because I'm still introducing the characters, please bear with me.

**Warnings**: OCs, OOC, AU, use of language (swearing, some minor inappropriate jokes)

**Summary**: Sakura isn't your typical high school nerd. After all, nerds weren't really that well liked. So, why is she the exception? AU.

* * *

_Akatsuki_

* * *

"Dude, I am totally excited for their concert here in Konoha!"

The next thing that was heard was the sound of a text book slamming shut .Sakura sighed and inwardly pictured herself hanging her head against the nearest wall. In reality, she was actually quite tempted to literally attempt the action. And just when she had thought she had finally found a quiet, secluded area to review notes, a herd of girls entered the place and started talking so loud, that Sakura was pretty sure people in Australia could hear them. Was asking for peace and quiet while studying too much to ask? She moved to stand and made her way to the door. As she did so, the pinkette removed the hair tie that held her silk pink locks in place, and let the feather soft hair cascade down her back freely. There was no point anymore in keeping her hair up, because she was no longer in 'study mode'. With a gentle and quick shake of her head, the scent of raspberries with a hint of vanilla. It seemed like the door to the library was taking forever to reach, as she was able to still hear the herd's conversation from where she stood.

"Right, I feel so bad for those who wanted to go, but can't~ It was fate that allowed us to be chosen to attend." That girl seemed to be the right hand (wo)man of the leader. The fact that she just was following the older girl while brushing her hair confirmed Sakura's suspicions. Did the door just move further away?

"Just goes to show that they only want pretty girls to attend their concerts. I'm definitely going to be wearing that new dress I bought yesterday."

"Oh, their eyes will definitely not leave you at all tonight. It should be that way, considering your the prettiest girl in all of Konoha." A third girl chimed.

The pink haired junior rolled her eyes at their talk. Fate her ass. Those insane fan girls had probably waited on hours end until the tickets were available online and bought them the second it was. Either that or their rich daddies pulled some strings and ripped off those who were patiently waiting. Sakura figured it was most likely the latter, she knew how those girls worked, and they always had underhanded tricks up their sleeves. Even the dense Naruto knew that! After what had seemed like eternity, the junior reached the door she so desperately sought and pried it open before walking away swiftly. As rude as it may seem, she felt like she was getting dumber by breathing in the same air as those...absent minded females (as Neji would describe rabid fangirls, wise words from her senior).

A buzz in her uniform pocket alerted her that she received a message, and she set her belongings on a near by table in order to pull out the device. When she did so, she could feel the stares of upper and underclassmen. It wasn't that they were staring at her, they are, most likely, staring at the prehistoric phone in her hands. Whilst everyone in the school had the latest phones such as an iPhone and android, she was stuck with an old and ugly flip phone. Would she like one instead of a dinosaur? Yes, who wouldn't but she had a strict budget and was not going to let a silly desire, such as buying a new phone, ruin it.

_'Sakura, lets meet up under the magnolia tree for lunch today. Everyone else has already agreed to come, you're the only one who hasn't replied! Enough studying, relax and eat, we'll be waiting for you! Please come today, Akamaru misses you'_ _– I. Y_

"Kiba snuck Akamaru onto campus? I could be the role model student and report this...but they are my friends. Then again, just because they are my friends, it doesn't mean that they can go unpunished. On the other hand, they'll probably be mad at me for ratting them out. But its the right thing to do! I'm on the student counsel, it's my job to follow the rules. Ino said that all of them were waiting, which includes Neji, who is the president of the whole school. He abides by the rules all the time, but I haven't heard an announcement calling for Kiba, so no doubt he doesn't mind...for now that is!"

She sighed.

"There's only one thing left to do."

She gathered her things and stood with her eyes closed, as if meditating while standing in place. Sakura then released a deep breath she had been holding. After releasing all the air, her eyes snapped open instantly and in a flash, she was speed walking down the hallway with a bright smile on her face.

"Go find Kiba and pet Akamaru! Gosh, that pup is a cutie!"

Within 2 minutes, she was at the magnolia tree where her friends were all seated. Before she made herself known, she took in the rather family-like feeling of the group.

Naruto and Sasuke weren't arguing at the moment and sat across from the other. In fact, they both seemed to be in a very deep conversation about something. Naruto's eyes shined bright and a small smile tugged at the normally brooding male's lips. It was at these moments, that Sakura truly believed that they could be brothers. She liked them like this, even if it was only every once and a while. It was a change of pace. If it was a normal occurence, the pinkette would be freaked out.

Beside Sasuke, sat the Hyuga heiress' older, overprotective, overbearing cousin. Neji Hyuga. Despite acting like he had a pole shoved up his ass majority of the time, he was a nice guy. Very focused and determined. It wasn't just Hinata that he was protective of, it was all the girls in his group of friends. Whether he was raised that way or not, Sakura didn't know. It was often that the student counsel meetings ended late, and she had to walk home (She cursed the fact that she doesn't have her license yet). Neji would always, without fail, escort her home although he lives across the city (if he drove to school, he drove her home). Right now, he was making sure that his younger cousin was not going to faint by just sitting next to the blonde oblivious to her feelings.

Hinata Hyuga. 17 years old. The shyest and the quietest of the group. She is a sweet and gentle soul. The heiress didn't like any form of fighting, physical or verbal. It stressed her out, and she has fainting spells, caused by whenever she is too stressed. It was no wonder why everyone is looking after her. Hinata is the youngest of the group, and everyone viewed her as a porcelain doll that should not be touched. In fact, if any fanboys of hers were to even approach her, they'd have the entire group on their tails.

On the other side of Hinata, sat the bun haired brunette, or as other girls in the school call her, tomboy Tenten. No really creative, in Sakura's opinion. Not that the brunette would tell anyone or anything, but she has a crush on the president. The pinkette thought it was pretty cute, after all, Tenten, Neji and Rock Lee have been in the same class since 2nd grade.

Speaking of Rock Lee, he was sitting beside Neji, raving on and on and on about how youthful children were today. Its a wonder how Neji could put up with his friend practically shouting to the world. Oops, spoke too soon, the long haired male just smacked the black haired male upside the head. There goes an argument and a certain heiress having a panic attack and faint. Oh, there goes Tenten, scolding the two like a mother hen. Those four go hand in hand.

Then there was Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji, who were keeping to themselves. It looked like Shikamaru, despite being so lazy, was tutoring the other two with a homework. Eventually, he gave up and muttered a 'troublesome' under his breath and placed his head on the table before drifting off to sleep. Yup, same old lazy Shikamaru for you. Chouji was munching on chips over the sheet of paper, somewhat spilling some pieces onto it, no doubt he's going to turn in another messy assignment. Ino looked a bit distracted, too busy staring at Sasuke. The blonde drew out her lip gloss and swiftly seeped the tip across her lips. Of course, Ino still had her crush on the popular male, even Sakura admitted that he is attractive. However, the pinkette considered him more of a brother instead.

She then turned her attention to the end of the table, where the last two sat. The bug fanatic, Shino, was focusing his attention on a butterfly that was perched on a near by branch. Although his glasses were hiding his eyes, she could tell that he was looking at the bug with interest. She didn't understand why he loved them so much, but who is she to judge a friend like that? Across from the bug watcher, sat the canine lover, with his pet seated on his lap, happily munching on a dog treat. Kiba is a from a well known family that has a lot of blue ribbon winning canines. He often told Sakura that he doesn't want Akamaru to be 'just a show dog', as it wasn't his style. But that isn't deterring his mother's hands on getting Akamaru into the limelight.

During her thoughts, she hadn't realized that the said pup that she came to see started barking happily at the sight of her. It was only when he accidentally ran into her shin and sent pain up her leg, did she notice the white and brown dog, wagging his tail excitedly. Her smile grew bigger and she picked up the dog, carrying it back over to the table.

"So, apparently, Akatsuki is going to play here tonight?" Tenten said, picking up a piece of rice and placing it in her mouth, "Any of you guys going?"

"I wanted to, but the tickets were all snatched up the second they went on sale, its a bummer." Ino commented, swirling her soup with a spoon.

As the conversation continued, Sakura noted how Sasuke somewhat tensed at the mere mention of the band. It was an unspoken rule between all of them that they do not mention specific members of the band. Why? Because Sasuke would always leave in a foul mood whenever his brother was made a topic. Yes, all of them know that Sasuke is related to the lead guitarist of Akatsuki, but it was a taboo to bring him up. Sasuke is proud of his brother's achievements, he told her that. What he doesn't like is how people try to get close to him to get free tickets to concerts or how they try to use him just to meet the Akatsuki. Sakura felt for the young Uchiha. She really did. But, at least his brother made an effort to contact him every now and then.

It was like her brother dropped off the face of the earth...in her mind, that is. She knows that he's alive, she could see him every day. He...just never made an effort to even speak with her.

* * *

"It really is a treat for all the lucky fans tonight. There's not only the Akatsuki who will perform for them, but the band Silver Eclipse is sharing the stage with them! Its a surprise collaboration! Now I really feel envious of all those fans who managed to snag the tickets. On behalf of all the fans who are not able to attend, please enjoy the concert for us!"

_(radio turns off.)_

"50...51...52...53...54-"

"Make sure you're breathing in enough, Naruto, and pace yourself as well." Sakura scolded, looking at the blonde who was working on crunches. Sweat was dripping down the spiky haired boy's face and his face was slightly flushed. Deep electric blue eyes were beaming with determination. She looked off to the side where Sasuke was, still busy with chin-ups. "Sasuke, the position of your arm is wrong, you'll hurt yourself if you continue to do it that way."

It was a routinely thing. When she didn't have a meeting for student counsel, she went straight to work with Sasuke and Naruto. Then go to her place to work on their assignments. And lastly, they'd go to the gym to release all the pent up stress the healthiest way they know. Sakura had started the regime first, and Sasuke and Naruto followed shortly. They go to the gym just about 3 to 4 times a week, depending on how much time they had. If they were too busy, of course they'd miss their gym time. School and work are their top priorities at the moment.

"Sasuke, has any rabid fans-"

"They've been hounding me for the entire month and the months before that as well." He replied, eyebrows furrowed. "There isn't once in my life where girls have ignored me, no matter how many times I've tried."

"You should be the one to ignore them" Naruto said, working on a cool down exercise. "then again, we've meet those fans of yours...some of them are completely-"

"Insane?" Sakura suggested.

"Delusional?" muttered a displeased Sasuke.

"Desperate?"

"Annoying?"

"Can I say all of the above?" Naruto grinned, earning a chuckle from both friends. "Its getting pretty late, we should get going soon before it gets too dark to walk home."

* * *

_Dear Akira,_

_You said 'see ya soon', does that mean you're going to visit!? If so, tell me when, you jerk. Wait...I just read it over again and noticed you did say you're going to be visiting. WHEN!? I haven't seen your pretty face in a long time. HA! Yes, pretty, not handsome~ :p How have you been all these years. I know I ask that in every single letter I ask, but I never get tired of hearing how everything is for you in Amegakure, corny as that may seem to you._

_I still have the first letter you ever wrote to me after you moved away. I even remember crying when I had read it. You were having such a difficult time adjusting to all the new things and the city, especially the people. I remember telling my mom to bring you back because I didn't like that you felt uncomfortable. We were adorable to our parents. I really love getting your letters too, you always know what to say whenever I feel like I'm down in the dumps._

_You're the best guy friend any girl could ever have, you know that? School is getting boring, so write back soon, so I have something to read during class time. Hehe, I'm such a bad student~ You're the one to blame, just letting you know~_

_Get your butt over here so I can see you (in person) again :smiley:, _

_S.H. _

"Hmm...I haven't written a letter to nii-san in a while. He's most likely never going to reply anyways, but there's no harm in trying, right Biscuit?"

The pup looked at her with beady eyes, as if trying to comprehend what she was saying to him. Sakura chuckled and shook her head. She reached on the top shelf of her desk and pulled a perfect clean and unsoiled paper from the packaging and set it onto the table. She sat there for a while, 'hmm'ing to herself as she thought about what she wanted to write.

It seemed like hours had gone by, and the pile of crumpled, discarded papers grew larger and larger. Biscuit had fallen asleep and the only sounds that filled the room were that of the ticking clock and the pinkette leaning back in her chair, causing squeaking noise.

_Dear Nii-san, _

_You haven't written back yet, I'm wondering if you ever read these letters...or just throw them in the trash with the rest of the mail you get. Anyways, I'm just letting you know that mom and I are doing well, nothing much has changed for us. I'm in my junior year of high school and have a part time job. Mom is working really hard to, I barely see her nowadays. She works nights now, and when she's home, I'm already at school. That's all I wanted to say, so,...yeah. Write back or just throw it away, or do whatever it is you normally do when you get these letters. Bye._

_- S. H._

_._

_._

_._

"I just realized I have to work all day tomorrow."

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**[To Be Continued?]**

* * *

Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter. Feel free to write a review or give constructive criticism but please no flames, thanks~


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